Apparatus for inserting valve elements



March 30, 1948. E. E. MARTIN APPARATUS FOR INSERTING VALVE ELEMENTS Filed Nov. 20, 1944 E N R O T T A INVENTOR.

.ZZIGWEST III/127w,

Patented Mar. 30, 1948 KPPARATUS. FOR I'NSER'IING VALVE ELEMENTS eta-Islets. time, Redondo hath, can! assignor to Ralph Walsh, Los Angeles, Calif.

"aii'i'ilictitiiin einber 20, 1944, Serial No. 564,353 2 Claims. (01. 29-235) '1 v t This invention has to do with-'a novel type and form of device for inserting "a deformable valve or sealing elrnentina'b'ody or fitting. v 4

In my copn'dirig ""ppli'cati'on S'er.1N o. 564,352 filed on even date herewith, I describe a valve or sealing de'vic'e possessing certain characteristic and novel features among which is its adaptability for insertion "of a deformable. valve or sealing element into "the body of thedevice through an opening which is to be closed by the element and which "is 'qi relatively smaller size. The general object of the present invention is to provide an inserting toolca'pab'leof subjecting the element to pressure in a mannercausing it to be deformed and projected into the body or fitting. Whileit is contemplated that the valve elem may have any suitable form. and composition, preferably I use. a substantially spherical or ball-shaped valve madeof rubber ,of proper hardness. As will appear, theyalvevdimension isso predetermined with relation to the sizes of the o y pa sage andboremastoperm t in rt o of the element by relativelylowapplied pressureto a positionin the body from which. the-element cannot be reversely displaced by relatively great oppositely appliedpressure. u g

'Avparticular object is to provide an inserting device whereby the valve element is subjected to fluidepressure in a m nner producing linitia'l deformation Qfthe element and theeapplication there ooffluid pressure sufliciently sustainedto follow the element through into the. body .v Al'sb cont mp a di t e. u of m9v b em .en a eabl a a st t .el l e temlc t e with theapplied fluid pressure to project the elementintothebody. I i L he inv nt o a d l it l l swm obj ct will be understood to lo etter advantage from ,the ollow n des r p qnioi. th t p cal. embodiment shown by th acqqm ny r s d awing i h:

Fi 1 is a sectional viewishbwirfg the ball inserting tool, with the container fitting appearing in elevation; 1 Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the inserting tool applied to the fitting with .the plungerextension approaching the b l cont c g q lt oni, v Fig. 3 shows the ball in open or non-sealing position within the fitting; and

Fig. 4 illustrates the balLposition when forced by the container pressure into sealing condition within the fitting. Typically the closure or yalvedeviceis shown to consist of a fitting, generally indicated at It, applied toga container H forpr'esisure fluids. ,For example, the fitting has prover; particularly successfulfas a filling and 'sealiiigdeyice for aerosol ty'pe "insecticide containers which are filled through the fitting ID with a high. vapor pressure composition such as a, solution of pyrethrum and sesame "oil in dichlorodifl'uoromethane, the letter,

having a nbrm'alivaporpressure of around '10-,80 poundsfp'er square inch. Although incidental to theinventiorn-the fitting] 0- isshown. to be weld at l2. within the cavitated bottom portion l3 of tlie'container. e a l. v

The fitting comprisesatubular ,body i4, containing a passage I'Sbpeiilnginto and tapering toward a cylindrical horellih In.the.juncture of the passageand the bore isan annular, shoulder ll formed at substantially 90, withthe. Wall of the-bore 16. Counterebore I 8, joinsthebore it at the tapered shoulder lr9,.and contains..at. its lower end a's'pider or apeftured'support 20 forthe ball check. As typicalfdi'mensions within a fitting adapted to the particular purpose illustrated, counter-bore l8 may have a diameter .of 0.250 inch, bore It a diameter of 0.1.8'L-inch and the throat a diameter at 2| of about 0,125. inch. r The fitting contains a ball check 22 .made of. a suitable elastic and deformable material preferably a rubber resistant. to any. solvent properties of the container solution, and whrfe theball is to be inserted through the passage-l5 as. later ex plained, having the proper hardnessto there- 'after resist displacement out of the fittingv and yet maintain a perfect fluid-tight seal In. the type andsize fittingshown, the rubber ball will have a'hardness within the range of,40.-I by the Shore durometer.- Of "essential importance is therelation'ship between the ballsizeand the diameter of the bore It. The ball diameter .is larger than the bore diameter, typically in the size fitting described, by an amount not in eirce'ss of 0.010 inch. Successful resultshave been had where the ball diameter exceeds the bore diameter by 0.005

inch. l

It is to be particularly observed that the sealing action and effect of the ball are fundamentally differentfrom those of anordinary ball check which maintains its seal solely at and by virtue of engagement with an annular seat. Referring to Fig. 4, when theball 22 is displaced by the container pressure upwardly from the position of Fig. 3 into the bore IS, the ball, having a larger diameter than th'e bore, is radially compressed and deformed when, a. diameter .of the ball enters the bore. The pressure displaces the ball until it engages against. the shoulder H, and depending upon the magnitudeiof the pressure, a greater or lesser quantity of the rubher t ey become displaced at 23 into the-throat 2 l and passage I5, but-however wi-thoutforcing the ball out of the fitting even,under extremely high pressures. The primaryeseal is effected at the surta'ces of engagement between the ballsand the bore it. "After engagement of the ball with shoulder H, the pressure appliedtothe ,bore tends to expand ittightly againstthe bo're wall. and the tigjhtnesls of t h'e engagement and seal increase as the pressure increases. A secondary seal i's'of course maintained by the ball engage- 3 ment against and within the shoulder H, but as indicated, the primary function of the shoulder is to support the ball for radial expansion under the applied pressure against the bore Wall I5.

ting may be permanently sealed after the con- 5 It may be mentioned that if desirable, the fittainer H is charged, by'filling passage 15 above 1 w the ball with solder or other permanent sealing material.

For various reasons, as under the following circumstances, it may be desirable to provide for the insertion of the ball into the fitting through the passage i5. Attachment of the fitting H) to thecontainer may be effected by completing the weld at 52 by heating :the container and fitting in an oven at a temperature of around 500 F. Obviously, the rubber ball would be injured at this temperature; hence the desirabilityior inserting the ball into the fitting after the latter is welded to the container.

The invention contemplates broadly the use of ball inserting means operable to apply pressure to the ball in a manner causing it to be radially deformed and projected through passage I5 into the fitting. Particularly the invention contemplates the application of fluid pressure and force against the ball, in a manner and amount such as to cause the ball to be. projected into the fitting with a stream of the fluid.

As illustrated, the inserting tool, generally in- V dicated at 25, is shown to comprise suitably interconnected barrel'and cylinder sections 26 and 27'which' may'have differential diameters, substantially as illustrated. The barrel 26 contains a plunger 28 carrying a sealing ring 29 and a downwardly curved and convergent extension 39. The lower end of the barrel carries a tubular 'thelatter returnsthe' partsto the position illus trated when the air pressure is relieved.

The nozzle 3! carries a guide nut 38 engageable' with the fitting It upon relative movement together of the inserting tool and fitting, see Fig. 2, as by elevation of the container l l. The guide nut 38 contains a bore 39 which receives the body'of the fitting, and the lower end of the nozzle 3i has a projecting lip 40 which enters the'upper end of the passage i5; At its lower end'32a, the nozzle bore is substantially straight, or has just slight downward taper.

Assuming the inserting tool to be applied to the fitting and the plunger 28 to be in the position of Fig. 1, the ball'22 may be inserted through an opening 4| in the side of the barrel and dropped into the nozzle passage as illustrated. As it moves downward below the opening 4|, the plunger 28 compresses the air in chamber 42 to a high degree sufficient to force the ball 22 downwardly within the converging throat of the nozzle bore, as exemplified in Fig. 2. Thus the ball becomes elongated and radially reduced, while high air pressure continues to be exerted against the ball, tending to force it through into the fitting. In this condition, the ball is engaged by the lower end of the plunger extension 30 as the latter approaches or nears the lower limit of its travel, and as a result the ball is projected out of the nozzle bore and throughpassage l5 and bore it into the fitting counterbore l8. It may be mentioned that in practice, the downward travel of the plunger and the projection of the ball in the fitting can be made to occur almost instantaneously.

It is not essential to the operation of the 'injecting tool that the ball be inserted in the barrel 42, as described. Instead, the ball first may be inserted by hand within the passage l5 and the tool 25 then applied to the fitting. Downward movement of the plunger serves, as before, to deform and crowd the ball downw'ardly'within the passage l5, and at the end of its travel, the plunger extension 30 engages the ball and causes it to be projected into the counter-bore l8.

With the ball'now contained in the fitting and in the position of Fig. 3, the tapered surface 43 of the fitting may be applied to the head or nozzle of a filling machine, and fluid introduced to the container through the clearance at M between the ball and larger diameter counterbore l3. Upon the introduction of a high pres.- sure fluid to the container, the ball 22 closes into. the bore IE to form a-fiuid-tight seal, all

as previously explained[ I claim: r

1. A device for inserting an individual elastic deformable closure element through a passage having a smaller diameter than said element into an enlarged space beyond said passage, that. includes a separate body containing achamber and a tapered restricted outlet smaller than said element and communicable with said passage, a plunger within said body operable'to develop and apply gas pressure to said element when positioned in said restricted outlet, and movable means engageable with the element to project it under the applied gas pressure through the passage into said space.

2. A device for inserting an individual elastic deformable closure element through a passage having a smaller diameter than said element into an enlarged space beyond said passage, that includes a separate body containing a chamber having a convergent end portion communicable with said passage, a plunger withinsaid body operable to develop and apply gas pressure to said element when positioned insaid convergent end portionof the chamber, and a projection carried by the end of said plunger and engageablewith said element only after it has been deformed bythe gas pressure to project the element at high velocity completely through the passage into said space. w

EARNEST E. MARTIN.

REFERENCES CITED p The following. references, areoi record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 Date Number Name 864,226. Blodgett Aug. 27, 1907 1,474,227 Boisset Nov. 13, 1923 1,733,610 Leipert Oct. 29, 1929 1,739,270 Thiry Dec. 10, 1929 1,913,933 Lamborn et al June 13, 1933 2,031,797 Tarbox Feb. 25, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 809,915 France Dec. 19, 1936 

